Real Madrid

Place of Birth: 

Ludwigshafen, Germany

Date of Birth: 

22 December 1959

Nationality: 

Germany

Bernd Schuster is 48 years old but only began coaching in 1997. His resilient career at the helm began with Fortuna Cologne and Cologne, two modest sides belonging to the Bundesliga. He then tried his fortune with Spain’s Xerez, who he led to the brink of promotion to the Primera Division. A brief one year stint in Ukraine followed before Schuster accepted the Levante job. After being dismissed at season’s end, he signed on with Getafe, where he elaborated the style he is now implementing at Real Madrid. “All teams play very similarly, so we have to look for something new,” says the coach, “I believe it is more important to give liberty to players than to use a specific system. My stay at Getafe was a perfect example. I have always preferred using an attacking midfielder to support the strikers, and a defensive midfielder to support the back line.” Schuster led Getafe to the top of the league table for several weeks during his first year with the Madrid-based team and the following campaign carried them to their first Copa del Rey final and UEFA Cup appearance in club history.

Bernd Schuster played for Real Madrid between 1988 and 1990 and returned to the club 17 years later to lead the team with the same enthusiasm he had as a player.

During his playing days in Germany, Schuster was known as the ‘Blond Angel’. Now, as coach, he is called the ‘Offensive Angel’. He demands that his teams play offensive football, that they maintain possession, and that they control the tempo of the game.

CAREER

Player:

• S.V. Hammerschmiede Augsburg, 1971-76
• FC Augsburg, 1976-78
• Cologne, 1978-80
• FC Barcelona, 1980-88
• Real Madrid, 1988-90
• Atletico Madrid, 1990-93
• Bayer Leverkusen, 1993-95
• San José Clash, 1996
• Pumas UNAM, 1996/97

Coach:

• Fortuna Cologne, 1997/98
• Cologne, 1998/99
• Xerez, 2001-03
• Shakhtar Donetsk, 2003/04
• Levante, 2004/05
• Getafe, 2005-07
• Real Madrid, 2007-present

TITLES & ACCOLADES

• La Liga: 1989, 1990
• Copa del Rey: 1989
• Spanish Super Cup: 1990
• Gold Medal, European Championship, 1980
• European Footballer of the Year, Ballon d’Or, 2nd Place, 1980
• European Footballer of the Year, Ballon d’Or, 3rd Place, 1981
• European Footballer of the Year, Ballon d’Or, 3rd Place, 1985